Indirect Tax collections go up in AP

Visakhapatnam: Indirect tax collections rise by 65% in Andhra Pradesh in 2018-2019, a 14% increase compared to the last financial year. Announcing this at a press conference on Thursday, Chief Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes B Hareram said the GST revenue showed an upward growth of 31% in 2018-2019.

While the GST collections constitute Rs.11.77 lakh crore (2018-2019) pan India against a target of 11.44 lakh crore, IGST refund of Rs.907.60 crore and GST refunds of Rs.923 crore were sanctioned in 2018-2019, an increase of 72.51% compared to last financial year.

With data analytics and risk management in place to curb tax evasion, Hareram said this had resulted in considerable revenue augmentation in Visakhapatnam zone. "This apart, steps taken by the department to plug the leaks in generating and circulating fake invoices are attributed to yielding good results," he stated.

About eight lakh returns were filed in 2018-2019 against the five lakh returns filed in 2017-2018 (nine months). The average return filing percentage comprises 80% a month in 2018-2019, Hareram added. "Action was taken against the persons engaged in generation of fake invoices and passing on the ineligible input tax credit," he mentioned. The GST taxpayers have gone up from 1.03 lakh in 2017-2018 to 1.55 lakh the following financial year. However, the small and medium scale taxpayers till March comprise 40,448.

Besides improved ranking in the ease of doing business, facilities such as e-sanchit in import and export clearance, direct port delivery and port export, authorised economic operator programme and 'turant' were implemented in Viskhapatnam zone. "Through electronic cargo tracking system the process of transhipment procedure has been simplified.

Earlier it used to take 100-120 days for transhipment from Visakhapatnam to Birgunj or India-Nepal border. Now it has been minimised to a week or 10 days," said Hareram.He further added that a total of 46 GST seva kendras operate in Visakhapatnam zone and trade and industry representatives can seek redressal of pending issues through the centres.